Monday we had the announcement that the school had been giving one terms reprieve and would definitely be closed by January 2008 so having made the decision there are then that Jordan wouldn’t be going back September as not to upset another school year it was with a heavy heart I went to the school Tuesday morning to see his last ever school play there.
It was his class assembly and they’d chosen to give a performance based on what they’d been learning in history this last term, and decided to depict the lives of children waiting to be evacuated during the second world war. It was really good with several children including Jordan singing songs all by themselves and everyone was feeling upbeat until they sang the final piece of the morning….Vera Lynn “We’ll meet again”
We’ll meet again, don’t know where, don’t know when,
But I know we’ll meet again, some sunny day.
Keep smiling through, just like you always do,
‘Til the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away.
It was all a bit too poignant, I held it together quite well until I turned to my friend beside me who met my smile with tears streaming down her face and that set me off, but we weren’t the only ones….teachers were in tears, other parents were in tears and some of the older kids grasping the significance of the song were sitting sobbing too, but not for too long. Courtney one of the little girls in my sons class bless her heart was singing at the top of her voice, not really appreciating the emotion of the song and the louder she got the more out of tune she got and she just kept on going giving it her all until finally the whole room was laughing along!
I left there feeling upbeat to go to work, only to be accosted en route by the most lovely lady who was a dinner assistant at Danesmore at the same time I attended who proceeded to tell me what an injustice the closure was and what she’d like to say to Phil Bateman (a local councilor) if she caught hold of him. Needless to say it did nothing to improve my mood and by the time I finally got to work I was ready to burst into tears again, it didn’t last long. I’d been through the doors a matter of seconds when my manager says “Maybe this will cheer you up” and put in front of me a new contract to sign, A contract I’d been waiting for since LAST August I FINALLY GOT MY PROMOTION woo.
Tuesday evening saw us back at the school for the “Juniors” production of “Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat”, it was the final performance of the show and was absolutely fantastic considering they were only 9, 10 and 11 year olds and had only about 6 weeks to prepare. I was very impressed but rather perturbed as I was never aware that Joseph was a cross dresser?? (He was played by a girl in a skirt!!) At times emotions were wrought as teachers were escorted from the hall in tears as the hard work put in by the kids and displayed on stage just epitomized what the school was all about, but the kids coped amazingly and even during the technical failings of a over heated computer system they performed impeccably!
Wednesday was the leavers disco, normally held in honor of year six who would be moving up to senior school, this year it was one hell of a bash for the entire school and to make it as memorable as possible I took a bottle of vodka to share with James and Shelly, Justine took a bottle of Rum (which he shared with me) and other parents took there own beverage of choice with various mixers, technically we’re not supposed to drink on school premises but what they going to do?? Expel our kids and close the school…too late for that,
So in typical school disco fashion the kids ran and danced and laughed and partied, and in our corner of the school hall we ran and danced and laughed and partied also, It was good fun, upsetting at the end when the kids all cried and sang you’ll never walk alone but at that point suitably numbed by alcohol me and Shelley just clung to each other with snotty noses and watering eyes declaring it all a scandal while James and Jay (Shelly’s other half) looked on and rolled their eyes at us!!
Thursday was strange, I went to the school straight from work, over an hour early so that I could spend some time in Jordan’s classroom join in with the fun with the kids and say a proper goodbye to his teachers. It was a strange end that left me feeling, well empty.
I arrived at the school and went straight into class where immediately we went to the hall for a final assembly. Mr Snell (the head teacher) gave a short speech thanking every one for their support in the last few months, announced that the school would be closing that very day and not reopening as Danesmore in September to give the kids a fair chance at settling in their new schools and that he would be retiring. A few achievement awards were handed out a few tears were spilt and every child in attendance was given a plaque to commemorate Danesmore, a DVD of “Joseph” and a very touching goodbye. And then that was it….Everyone went home.
After the frivolities of the rest of the week it was very anti- climatic. Lots of parents had gathered expecting, well I don’t know what we were expecting really but there was nothing. We couldn’t find people we really wanted to speak to and wish well among the hoards and finally as the crowds abated and a hush settled it was like a full stop at the end of a very long story, It all felt so final.
It was very strange walking away from the school for the very last time that afternoon!!